I have gone through so many different types of baby food trays trying to find one I can rely on to be non-toxic and easy to use! Green Sprouts did just that. Silicone has become a material we are seeing more and more of in the kitchen because it’s easy to use and contains NO PVC, BPA, or nitrosamine. It is heat resistant up to 425°F which allows you to cook baby food in the oven, let cool, then place into the freezer; all without taking the baby food out of the Green Sprouts silicone tray!

I whipped up an easy and healthy way for my 7-month-old to get some greens and ease the pain of her teething gums in the Green Sprouts tray.

Frozen Veggie Bites for Teething

1 cup frozen non-gmo/ organic corn

1 cup frozen organic green beans

2 Tbsp water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse/blend until combined but not pureed.

Next, fill each cube a little over half-way. Using a fork, divide each portion in two and form to opposite ends.

Once it is frozen, pop out one or two of the forms and let your baby get some well deserved nourishment and relief! My 7 month old is working on her 6th tooth, and this is my go-to snack for her. It makes me happy that her gums are getting a break from the pain and she is getting her greens all at once! The Green Sprouts tray holds 15- 1 oz cubes, that’s 30 frozen veggie bites!

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Recently we began a series of weekly topic discussions in which we allow our customer and reader base the opportunity to choose a popular “Natural Parenting” subject to discuss with fellow parents on our social media outlet Instagram. We are AMAZED by the feedback and outpouring of suggestions, comments and interaction between parents sharing their personal experience, asking questions and giving great advice of each topic. As promised, a few weeks after our Topic Discussion we reach out to a professional or experienced parent in said field and allow our readers an opportunity to get a more detailed explanation on the subject.

One of our first topics was Placenta Encapsulation. We received tons of feedback, suggestions and questions on this topic and we are BEYOND thrilled to have Valerie Rosas of The Feel Good Company Placenta Encapsulation touch on the subject of Placenta Encapsulation. The Feel Good Company Placenta Encapsulation By Valerie Rosas is an L.A. based business that offers Placenta capsules, tinctures, salves, smoothies and much more for mommas-to be. Valerie’s motivation, inspiration, and passion for placenta encapsulation stems from the importance of mental health, she believes in the placenta power and is passionate in helping women in their postpartum recovery and assisting them in their transition into motherhood. Along with aiding women post baby, she is also driven to educate women in general about placenta encapsulation through event speaking. Valerie has received training through Full Circle Placenta Encapsulation and Certification, January 2013, and has been certified since March 2013. She has also obtained her Food Handlers Certification and Bloodborne Pathogens Certificate. In this way her clients can feel safe and secure that they are in good hands.

Placenta Encapsulation 101

There are two methods of preparing placenta for encapsulation, the RAW method and TCM method (traditional Chinese medicine). In the RAW method steaming placenta is skipped and placenta goes straight into the dehydrator. The TCM method gently warms placenta by steaming with slices of ginger. Tincture is a fermentation process that allows preservation of the placenta so that it can be used for menopause and any hormonal transition. A Salve is a super healing, natural triple antibiotic ointment (used for perineal tearing, cracked nipples, eczema, diaper rash and more). A placenta smoothie is a small piece of your raw placenta with your choice of fruits blended to provide you with a turbo boost of energy along with all the placenta benefits instantaneously!… “How’s this for a history lesson, the earliest recorded use of the placenta was in 1578 by Li Shi-Zhen a medical and pharmaceutical expert of China. He included placenta as a medicine in his first TCM Materia Medica publication… Needless to say, I love placenta!”

There’s a sub-culture of mommies that is rapidly increasing and for a good reason, PLACENTA POWER!!

The possibility of dodging postpartum depression while replenishing iron and lending a consistent flow of oxytocin to get your motherhood started with a feel good vibe has mommas researching for the nearest placenta encapsulator. Hence, The Feel Good Company Placenta Encapsulation By Valerie Rosas. After all, no doctor on this planet can prescribe a vitamin or herbal supplement more perfect than your placenta. Consumption of placenta is known to have been practiced as far back as 1578 as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and though it has surfaced on the mainstream through several celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone and twin sisters Tia & Tamera’s public acceptance, many cultures around the world find it to be common practice to consume placenta as part of a healing process after giving birth. As for Valerie, She knows through her own experience what it feels like to have been swallowed up by baby blues and two weeks after giving birth rescued by the encapsulation of her placenta. Her testimony is very similar to the stories shared on YELP by the ladies that she’s encapsulated for. The Feel Good Company PE is dedicated with the upmost passion to serve Mommas with complete and wholesome care and priding itself in making sure that mommas receive their placentas within 48 hrs, if not sooner so that they may reap the benefits of the medicine that their very own body has created for them. Other services besides encapsulation also consist of Salves, Tinctures, Smoothies and Dream-catchers made from the umbilical cord. For more information please visit…. www.feelgoodplacenta.com

We are always looking for fun and exciting ways to incorporate travel, family-time, nature, memories and new experiences into our lives. Being a busy family running a small business you don’t always seem to find time to sit back and just enjoy. For awhile now my husband has been hinting that he would love to do a family camping trip. My husband and I are a lot alike but when it comes to roughing it, I’m just not your gal. Plus having two kids under 3 and another bundle in the oven just made the idea of camping not too exciting. My first thoughts were: no bathrooms, no showers, kids wondering off, bears, bugs and more than anything pregnancy late night “can’t hold water” problems. I know this all sounds dramatic but these truly were my thoughts of camping, especially at this current stage in our lives. Did I mention I’m 6 months pregnant with a two-year old and a three-year old? The idea of camping just didn’t hit the “relaxing trigger” in my mind.

Well boy oh boy was I wrong!!! Recently we were introduced to the idea of “Glamping”. For those still new to the term, “Glamping”, Oxford Dictionary defines it as, ”A form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping”. This seemed more up my alley. An opportunity to experience nature, shower within the comforts of my bathroom, have a potty close by for my toddlers and also those frequent “pregnancy can’t hold water” visits, electricity and so much more. Meet our newest annual family summer vacation spot: El Capitan Canyon.

Where do we begin? El Capitan Canyon, just north of Santa Barbara along an unspoiled stretch of the California coast, is renowned as an all-season comfort camping destination. Originally a traditional campground, El Capitan Canyon reopened in 2002 as an upscale, outdoor destination and quickly became known for its picturesque canvas safari tents and contemporary rustic cedar cabins. It was one of the first to be coined “luxury camping.”

Nestled against the Los Padres National Forest with access to 3,500 acres of pristine nature preserve, the Canyon is set on 350 acres of rolling hills and creek canyons and is a five-minute walk to El Capitan State Beach. During the summer months, the Canyon becomes a place for families to reconnect as it offers a no-fuss, back-to-nature camp experience with s’mores by the fire, hiking, and outdoor concerts. Family-owned since 1975, El Capitan Canyon provides affordable luxury in nature. Set amidst a grove of California oaks and sycamore trees are six adventure yurts, 26 canvas safari tents and 122 individual cedar cabins, including 13 new Corral Cabins. These comfortable accommodations are arranged in villages.

Truly this place is a campers dream! What we enjoyed most was that we still felt connected to nature. We still felt we were camping and enjoying all the things traditional camping has to offer plus the convenience of “luxury accommodations”. We stayed in one of El Capitan’s Cedar Cabins. The Cedar Cabins feature spacious decks, full bathrooms and kitchenettes. Many have fireplaces. Guests can choose from a Creekside King with soaking tub, Canyon Suite, Canyon Loft, Creekside and Canyon Queens, Creekside Double with soaking tub, Canyon Bunk cabins, or the newest cabin type, the contemporary rustic Corral Cabins, set slightly aside from the main camp for more privacy. All cabins include linens, duvets, towels, picnic tables, grills and fire pits. Another great thing about El Capitan is they also offer other styles of camping for those that prefer the camping experience of a tent.

Once we arrived we quickly dove right into the many activities that El Capitan has to offer. First we hiked through the camp grounds to explore the property. We were amazed to find all the amenities such as: a playground, a heated pool, a petting zoo, a market full of eco-friendly items and toys and last but not least a staff that was more than accommodating. Like most moms when on vacation hotel staff is sometimes as important as comfy sleeping arrangements. We need to check in fast, have staff that may understand the tired crying baby, staff that greets you with a smile and staff that reassures you that you made the right choice by bringing your family to their location to make memories. We also loved that they mapped out exactly what was offered at El Capitan to make our trip even easier .Truly we can say this was one of the most relaxing, exciting, enjoyable vacations we’ve ever been on. El Capitan truly gets the Mothers Organic family stamp of approval for BEST LOCAL FAMILY TRAVEL.

*** I know most our moms are curious as to what we packed, how we packed and what was our must-have items to bring. I have put together a short list of items to bring and best of all a GIVEAWAY we are including in our review of El Capitan Canyon.

Let’s start with our luggage!!! I am always on the hunt for the “perfect weekender” bag. You know that magical bag that you can fit everyone’s clothes into? Yeap, the one you’ve desperately always wanted but couldn’t find? As a busy mom of young children packing is always such a hassle. Traveling with multiple bags in tow always seems to make our trips more difficult. That was all until I discovered Birdling Bags. Birdling Bags are proudly made in America and offer the finest quality in materials and customer service. I cannot express to you enough how convenient it was to have one bag for all four of us. YES MAMA’S, all four of us!!! Having one bag for clothes made this mama jump for joy. The best part is the Birdling Bags have cool compartments for separation. Trust me when I say you’ll never need another weekender! Our picks for must have camping items are: Sunscreen, Sanitation Hand Wipes, Sanitizer Spray, Stainless Steel Drinking Bottle, and Snack Storage.

With all that said, since we are still beaming from our amazing vacation at El Capitan Canyon along with the remarkable experience of traveling so light using our Birdling Bag we want to offer our reader and customer base the opportunity to WIN a Birdling Bag of their own along with $150 worth of “travel must-have” goodies from our store.

To enter, follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget below, also do not forget to leave a blog comment below. Tell us when and where was your last family vacation? The contest is open to U.S. residents only and will run from Thursday, August 14th, 2014 through Wednesday, August 20th 2014 at 12:01PST. Good luck! And remember you can enter once a day!

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Majority of our customer inquiries tend to be in the range of product details, car seat suggestions, mom-to-mom questions; like how long did you nurse and lastly where and how do you travel with kids, specifically toddlers. Having two little ones so close in age traveling out of the state has yet to happen. Currently we prefer local travel which saves money, helps to keep sane by avoiding airplanes and overall supports local business. One of my absolute favorite places to visit is Palm Springs. From the hot weather to the short 1 1/2-hour drive, Palm Springs has been our go-to when needing a quick getaway with the kids.

This time around we chose to stay at The Parker Palm Springs. If you haven’t had to pleasure to stay at their fabulous, lush and kid-friendly hotel you definitely must add it to your bucket list. From their gorgeous landscaped property to their amazing customer service The Parker Palm Springs definitely does NOT disappoint. To be honest, upon arrival I was a little intimidated. The crowd is extremely upscale and the hotel is beyond posh. Imagine Hollywood Hills mixed with Ralph Lauren. The hotel architecture and design is beyond breath taking.

Having two wild children both under 3 at first caused a little anxiety. I began to think, “is this hotel kid-friendly enough? Are my kids going to rip and run and tear everything up? Are we a little to hippie for this spot?” But to my surprise there were more kids than I could count. Kids running wild, playing through the gardens, laughing, screaming and having a ball. After settling into our room we explored the property. Beautiful is an understatement! Gardens, Fountains, Croquet, Petanque and even fire-pits. One of the best amenities was the kid pool. I truly believe all hotels should have kid pools. It allows your kids the opportunity to jump, splash, canon ball and just enjoy without you having to worry whether your kids are disrupting the lady reading her book.

After all the fun of visiting the pool, eating locally for dinner and watching movies in our bed we all called it a night. First thing in the morning and before checkout we decided to visit the “highly reviewed and rated” Norma’s for breakfast. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!! I truly could stay at The Parker Palm Springs solely for Norma’s it was so amazing. As soon as you get seated you are greeted with a freshly juiced smoothy. This pregnant mama has been dreaming about that smoothy since we left. AMAZING!!! The food was superb to any breakfast we’ve ever had, and trust me we take our breakfast pretty seriously. Again, amazing customer service. Our waiter was amazing and the prices weren’t too bad. We truly had an unbelievable getaway. The Parker Palm Springs was more than good to us and definitely will be one of our go-to hotels to stay when visiting Palm Springs.

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Today we’re honored and excited to share with you all things diaper bag related. Being a mother of two little ones, ages 2 & 1 I find myself always needing to overpack. I need a diaper bag that has compartments, space and more than anything one that is stylish.

Recently I was introduced to Nena & Co. and immediately I fell in love. Why you ask? Where should we start? First, Nena & Co. is an eco-friendly company. They upcycle!! Their bags are the end product of the intricate process of creating hand loomed huipils that began hundreds of years ago. The fabric used to create each bag used to be a beautiful woman’s shirt or huipil. Nena & Co. bags are uniquely handcrafted and capture the magic and depth of the Maya people. The best part is when you purchase one of their bags you’re helping create jobs at home and also providing freedom from poverty for the beautiful, hardworking women of the Maya highlands. Use MOTHERS20 at checkout to snag your very own Nena & Co. bag at 20% off, make sure you check out her full line which includes: Turbans, Camera Straps, Clutches, Day Bags, Totes, Weekender Bags, Makeup Bags and Men’s Weekender Bags.

What’s in my diaper bag you ask? I make sure to include all my absolute must have’s like, diapers, wipes, a pacifier and sippy cup. Not to mention my “just in case” stash of items to make sure I’m prepared in case of an emergency like sunscreen, toys for meltdowns, snacks, diaper balm and of course my all time favorite; a pair of moccasins from Freshly Picked. There have been many occasions in which I needed an extra pair of shoes on hand and these fit so perfectly into any diaper bag without taking up too much space.

Now to the fun part!!! We are stoked to share that we are teaming up with Nena & Co. and Freshly Picked to bring you our What’s In Our Diaper Bag Giveawayvalued at over $450!!! Yes that’s right!! One lucky reader will be the winner of a Nena & Co. bag, a pair of Freshly Picked Moccasins, Seventh Generation Diapers, Wipes, Pacifier, Sippy Cup, Sunscreen, eco-alternative toy, Happy Family Organic Snacks, EcoLunchbox and Diaper Balm!!!!!! So get excited and make sure you enter all ways possible.

To enter, follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget below. The contest is open to US residents only and will start Monday, February 10th and will end Monday, February 17th at 12:01PST. Good Luck! And remember you can enter once a day!

Eligibility: Must be 18 years of age or older, a legal resident of the 50 US States and the District of Columbia, and a fan of the Mothers Organic Facebook page to enter. Employees of Mothers Organic or its related companies or suppliers (and their relatives) are ineligible to enter.

Contest Period: The contest or giveaway period will be displayed in the social media posting.

How to Enter: For Facebook contest or giveaway, participants may only enter once during the contest period. For Pinterest contest or giveaway, participants may enter more than once during the contest period and will be asked to include a hashtag for each entry in order to qualify. Any comment or photo entries that are deemed to have vulgar or inappropriate content by Mothers Organic will be deleted and be ineligible to receive any prize.

Participants may be asked for their email address to participate in giveaways or contests. This information will only be used for sending updates and announcements from Mothers Organic. We will not share, sell or trade participant’s personal information with any third party.

No purchase or payment is necessary to enter to win. A purchase will not increase your chance of winning.

Winner Selection and Notification: For Facebook contest or giveaway, winner chosen at random within 5 business days at the conclusion of the giveaway or contest. For Pinterest, winner will be chosen within 5 business days at the conclusion of the giveaway or contest and will be determined on creativity of entry or entries as determined at the sole discretion and judgment of Mothers Organic, which discretion and judgment shall be final. Winner’s first name and last initial will be posted to the Mothers Organic Facebook page timeline.

Prizes: Prizes awarded shall be those described in the Facebook posting. Allow up to two weeks after name and address for winner has been confirmed for delivery of prize.

Other than randomly selecting the winner and sending the prize to the winner, Mothers Organic assumes no liability relating to entries nor any responsibility for lost, missing or improper entries